Serpens Dominus Ruina
by Saerry Snape
Summary: Sequel to the first ending in VVBane. It begins with a reunion at Hogwarts, ten years after the battle on the grounds. There it seems quiet...until someone attempts to kidnap the Potter and Snape children. After that, things just start going downhill..
1. All You Need

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I DO, however, own the Founder's weaponry, Trieste, Medusa, Tristen, Thiele, Tremayne, and anything else you don't recognize.

**Serpens Dominus Ruina**

**"Serpent Lord's Ruin"**

**Chapter 1 – All You Need**

_Dear Hogwarts graduate,_

_This year marks the ten-year anniversary since your graduation. A party is being held at Hogwarts on September 10th to celebrate this event. The staff would enjoy seeing your face again._

_Hoping you come,_

_Minerva McGonagall  
_

_Headmistress_  
__

__

"So," purred Hermione into her husband's ear, "are we going?"

"I _loath_ these things," grumbled Severus in response, tossing the letter onto the coffee table. "We see half of these people on a day-to-day basis."

"That's not the point, Sev. C'mon, it'll be fun."

"And what shall we do about that little hellion of yours?" asked Severus. "If you don't recall, your mother refuses to keep him."

"Then I suppose he'll just have to come with us," said Hermione with a smirk.

"_Are you mad, woman!_ Our demon-child loose in Hogwarts?"

"Merlin help the paintings."

"And _us!_ Let me up, woman."

"Where are you going?" asked Hermione as Severus rose from their couch and stalked off into his office. "Sev?"

"To Floo Harry! If you intend to bring your hellion, I am going to warn him about it!"

"_Our_ hellion, Sev!" sang Hermione as she set off through their house to find the aforementioned 'hellion'. "Tris!"

"Ni?" said the potted plant from her right and she turned on it, moving the huge plants fronds aside to reveal her nine-year-old son. Tristen Amadeus Oberon Snape smiled cheekily up at his mother and waved at her.

"Hi, Mum."

"What are you doing in the plant?" demanded Hermione. She arched an eyebrow in a manner similar to her husband's and added, "_Again._"

"Trying to find Este," replied the nine-year-old.

"_In the plant?_ What on earth would your cat be doing in the plant?"

Tristen shrugged and Hermione sighed heavily before hauling him up into her arms. She then plucked the wayward gray tabby off the curtains of the window on the other side of the corridor and deposited the creature in her son's arms before striding towards her husband's office. As she opened the door, Harry's rich voice struck her ears and she saw his head bobbing in the fire.

"Afternoon, Harry," she said cheerfully, shifting her grip on Tristen. The nine-year-old had Trieste perched on his shoulder now and was waving his arms wildly at the sight of the face in the fireplace.

"Uncle Harry!"

Harry chuckled and said, "And a 'hello' to you too, Tris. How's Este?"

"Fine!" chirped Tristen. "See?" He pointed at the cat on his shoulder, who tilted her head to the side.

"Mrow?"

"I see." His serpentine eyes turned back towards Severus and he said, "Thanks for the warning, Sev. I'll tell Gin and Seamus whenever I see him. And I'll bring the Unholy Terrors to keep Tris busy. Oh, yeah, and congrats on the Potions job. We all were _very_ surprised to hear McGonagall offered it to you."

"Oh, bugger off," grumbled Severus, crossing his arms across his chest. "And keep your Terrors on a leash!"

"And keep them from exploring as seven-year-old's do?" quipped Harry. "Not when they have a huge castle to explore."

"You just want them out of your hair," said Hermione with a smile.

Harry's eyes rolled heavenward and he grumbled, "Heck, yeah." His head dimmed slightly and he muttered, "No, Ele, you can't talk to Aunt Mione. And you can't either, Tre." He popped back and said, "I'll be seeing you two at Hogwarts."

"Bye, Uncle Harry!" cried Tris, waving a hand furiously.

Harry's hand appeared in a small goodbye then he vanished.

Severus sighed and collapsed into a chair as the fire slowly died down. He reached up a hand to brush his green-streaked black hair off of his face and grumbled, "All three of them at Hogwarts at the same time. Merlin help me."

Hermione smiled and bent to place Tristen on the floor before she walked over and sat on the edge of his chair. She angled her arm back behind his shoulders and laid her head against his. He smiled and reached up a hand to squeeze hers.

"They'll all be there eventually."

"Yes," said Severus. But I'll have slight break before Ele and Tre come up."

"By that time, Tris will have calmed down a little." There was a crash from outside the room and Tristen giggled, causing Hermione to wince. "At least I hope so."

"You and I both, Mione-love," mumbled Severus. "You and I both."

* * *

_September 10_

"We're here! We're here!"

"Calm down, Ele," said Ginny, smiling at her russet-haired daughter. The seven-year-old turned brilliant green eyes on her mother and gave her a pouting look.

"But, Mummy, we're here."

"I know that, pet. Now go find that rascal of a brother of yours."

Thiele Lillianne Potter nodded and ran out of the cab, yelling in the tinny voice of a seven-year-old. On the other side of the cab, Harry peeled open one serpentine eye and peered at the smiling form of his wife.

"Something amusing, love?"

Ginny smiled at him and replied, "Just our daughter. Did you hear her?"

"Every tinny squeal." He raised his arms above his head and stretched before slowly standing up, offering a hand to her. "C'mon then, Gin. Let's get this over with."

"You sound as though you don't want to be here," remarked Ginny as she took his hand and they left the cab, walking down the corridor towards the exit.

"I don't," said Harry in a dark tone.

"Bad memories?"

Harry only pulled her close, his arm clasped about her waist. That answered her question better than any words he could have said.

Hogwarts represented several things for the man beside her. It was where he had first found a place to belong, where he hadn't been considered a freak. It was where he had found friendship. It was where he had found the truth about his parent's death and himself. It was where he had found love.

But it was also the place where he had found betrayal and loss.

Generally, the good memories would cancel out the bad. Not in Harry's case. No. He had lost not only his best friend, but this self-same friend had killed _her_, right before Harry's eyes. It had been Dumbledore who had gone back to the morning of that day via Time Turner and left her a note telling her to stay out of the battle.

She had. And_ her_ Harry had died.

But she had come here, here to this time zone or plane or whatever it was. Here her Harry was alive. Alive and well – but only on the outside. He had slowly begun to fall apart on the inside from the moment of her death. It had taken her years to slowly rebuild what had been there before.

And he still sometimes woke up in a cold sweat, screaming her name. He still dreamed of that moment when the creature called Aubrey – the creature that had once been her brother Ron – had killed her.

In the moments after these dreams, he clutched her close to him, his grip almost painful. But she endured the pain, knowing that he was reassuring himself that she was still there, that she was real and not some illusion or ghost that had come to haunt him.

She too had dreams like that. Only she, unlike him, had not seen the deathblow.

Ginny sighed heavily then winced as the early morning sunshine lanced its burning rays into her eyes. Lifting a hand to shield them, she carefully stepped down out of the train onto the Hogsmeade platform. In a little more than a day it would be brimming with students but now it stood empty except for a young couple who seemed to be arguing about something. A nine-year-old boy with wavy black hair sat at their feet, playing with a tiny gray tabby cat.

The child abruptly looked up and a grin broke over his face as he saw the two of them stepping out of the train. He leapt to his feet and ran towards them, dark eyes bright. The tiny cat bounded after him, meowing furiously.

"_Aunt Ginny! Uncle Harry!_"

"Tristen!" cried Ginny, scooping the young boy up into her arms as he leapt at her. "What have you been doing lately, you rascal?"

"Nothing," replied the boy, trying to look innocent. But Ginny knew her godson too well to fall for that.

"Nothing, have you now?" she said. "Now why do I not believe that?"

"Aunt Ginny," pouted Tristen.

Harry chuckled and ruffled the dark head, saying, "Don't mind her, kiddo. She used to get in all sorts of trouble."

"Only because you dragged her into it," said Hermione as she and Severus walked over. The bushy-haired woman looked around then asked, "Where's Ele and Tre?"

"More than likely wreaking havoc on the train," replied Harry with a slight groan. He turned and hauled himself back up into the train, vanishing down the corridor. The second he was gone, Thiele came rushing out the door from the other end of the corridor, leaping into the unsuspecting Severus' arms.

"UNCA SEV!"

"_Gods!_" exclaimed Severus as the girl nearly caused him to fall over. He staggered slightly then regained his balance, settled his grip about the seven-year-old in his arms. "Ele, what on earth do you think you're doing?"

Thiele looked about at her mother then leaned forward and whispered, "Hiding from Papa."

Severus nodded in a conspiratorial way and said, "Ah. And where, pray tell, is that brother of yours?"

"Hiding from Papa," came the reply.

"I see. And where would he…"

"_TREMAYNE ALEXANDER!_"

"Ah," said Severus as the patter of running feet was heard coming down the corridor inside the train. "There he is."

Ginny sighed and looked at Hermione, who just smiled and her and shrugged. The red-head looked heavenward then towards the form of her son as he came barreling out of the train. With wild dark hair and a pair of emerald eyes, Tremayne Alexander Potter was cute, mischievous, and had the same look as his father. Minus the serpentine eyes that marked him as an Heir of Slytherin.

The aforementioned father appeared in the doorway a few seconds later with a dark scowl across his face. What looked to be paint was splattered all over the front of his robes and Ginny covered her mouth with her hand at the sight. She then turned to her son and hissed, "Tremayne! What in Merlin's name did you think you were doing?"

Tremayne had the grace to look ashamed and scuffed the toe of his shoe on the stones of the platform. He looked up at his mother from under a fringe of dark hair and muttered, "It was jus' a joke."

"Let me guess," said Severus, trying (without luck) to peel Thiele off of his robes. "One of Fred and George's Paintball Mines."

Tremayne grinned brightly and piped, "Yep! Uncle Fred gave 'em to me for my birthday!"

"Something he shall soon regret doing," growled Harry as he stepped back down onto the platform. He unbuttoned the front of his robe and pulled it off, revealing the dark jeans and green t-shirt he was wearing underneath. Rolling the robes into a ball and stuffing it underneath his arm, he said, "Let's get going, shall we?"

"Yes, let's," said Ginny, lowering Tristen to the ground. The nine-year-old immediately went over to Tremayne and threw his arm about the other boy's shoulder, congratulating him in whispered tones. Tremayne grinned at the older boy and laughed.

"Why did we have to be cursed with insane child?" said Severus to the sky as the four adults followed behind the two boys.

"I'm not in-in…oh, tha' word!" exclaimed Thiele, glaring at her godfather.

"Of course not," said Severus in a humoring tone, causing Hermione to chuckle. Thiele gave him a Look and caused Harry to burst into racious laughter. That was one of Ginny's own looks, one she readily gave to him whenever he was humoring her.

"Papa gone crazy," mumbled Thiele, causing Harry to laugh even more. Ginny smiled at her daughter and reached over to pat her arm.

"Not crazy, pet. Just…"

"Nutty?" suggested Severus. "Off his rocker? To the moon? Flipped? Fruity? Missing a few bats in the belfry?"

"Those weren't any of what I was going to say."

"I had to try."

"Hey!" exclaimed Tristen's voice suddenly from up ahead. "This carriage has no horses!"

"Weird," came Tremayne's voice as well.

"They sent a horseless carriage after us?" said Hermione with a confused frown.

Harry smirked and quipped, "Now, now, Hermie. We know better than that."

Hermione flashed a scowl at him and he grinned cheekily back at her. The five of them rounded a copse of trees and saw Tristen walking around the back side of the carriage. Tremayne was inching around the front, staring at the air in front of him as though he knew something was there.

Harry smiled as the two Thestrals attached to the carriage bowed their heads towards him. He dipped his head in return, willingly acknowledging the creatures that had – for some still unexplained reason – placed him under their protection. He supposed it was because his Animagus form was that of a Thestral but didn't go on that as he didn't know if it was the real reason.

Ginny started forward as one of the Thestrals dipped its draconic head towards their son and sniffed at him but Harry held her back. When she looked at him, he whispered, "They won't hurt him."

"You don't know that," breathed Ginny.

Harry's eyes twinkled and he arched an eyebrow at her as he said, "Don't I?"

Ginny frowned at him then turned her brown eyes on Tremayne again, who had jumped back suddenly. He turned wide green eyes towards his parents and said in a hiss, "There's something here!"

"Huh?" said Tristen from the other side of the carriage. He ducked underneath it and stared at the empty space Tremayne was pointing at. Then he looked at the younger boy and said, "Your losing it, mate."

"I am not!" defended Tremayne, glaring at the older boy. "There's something there! I felt it breathe!"

One of the Thestrals snorted, causing both boy's to jump, which made the four adults laugh.

"They're called Thestrals," explained Harry, approaching the creatures. He patted the one closest to him on the shoulder and the creature turned its head about to nip playfully at his fingers. Tremayne and Tristen stared at him as he patted what they saw to be empty air.

"Papa's petting nothing," said Thiele as Severus wandered over to the carriage and opened the door.

"Thestral. Petting a Thestral," corrected Severus, setting her down inside the carriage. He then swooped Tristen up from behind, causing the nine-year-old to squeal in outrage.

"_Dad!_"

"What?" said Severus innocently as Tristen frowned at him, crossing his arms over his chest. Trieste meowed from her owner's coat pocket and poked her head out, peering about with almond-shaped eyes. An answering meow came from Tremayne's pocket and Medusa made her way out, scrambling up to perch atop his head.

The seven-year-old frowned at the 'empty' air his father was petting and whined, "Why can't I see them?"

Harry's voice turned grim as he said softly, "You have to have seen death to see a Thestral, Tre. And you're too young to have seen that." He patted the Thestrals shoulder once then turned and said, "C'mon then. We don't want to be late. Up ye get." In one swift motion, he picked up Tremayne and stepped into the carriage, settling himself between Thiele and Tristen, Tremayne in his lap.

Severus allowed Hermione and Ginny to climb into the carriage in front of him before he swung himself up, closing the door with a click. Before he had even settled into his seat, the carriage began to move with a jolt.


	2. In the Big Machine

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I DO, however, own the Founder's weaponry, Trieste, Medusa, Tristen, Thiele, Tremayne, and anything else you don't recognize.

**Serpens Dominus Ruina**

**"Serpent Lord's Ruin"**

**Chapter 2 – In the Big Machine**

When the carriage arrived at the castle door, Harry was the first out. Thiele scrambled past Tristen and her twin brother to leap onto her father's shoulders with a little shriek. Harry grunted at the sudden weight but didn't tell her to get off. He just grabbed her legs and gave her a gentle push up so she could lock her arms about his neck.

Tristen and Tremayne leapt down out of the carriage, followed by Severus, Ginny, and Hermione. The two boys gaped up at the castle towering above them and only found one thing to say about it. Which they, of course, said at the same time.

"_Wicked._"

Harry rolled his eyes as Severus began to chuckle before he mounted the steps, heading up towards the main doors. Before he could open then, they were thrown open and Minerva McGonagall greeted him with a warm smile and a hug.

"Harry," she said, "it's good to see you again."

"You too, professor…I mean, Minerva."

McGonagall smiled and looked at Thiele, who was peering at her over her father's shoulder. "And who is this?"

Thiele ducked down as Harry smiled and said, "This is Thiele, better known as Ele about the house. Ele, this is Professor McGonagall, my old Head of House."

"Surely you don't think she's old, Harry," quipped Severus as he came up to stand beside the other man. He smiled at the older woman and said, "Minerva, you should feel insulted."

"After the remarks _you_ used to give me, Severus, how can I feel insulted about anything?"

Severus winced and Harry chuckled as he said, "Ouch…"

"Shut up, you."

"Both of you, hush," scolded Hermione as she came up behind them. She smiled at McGonagall and said, "Hello, professor."

"Minerva, please, Hermione."

"I'm sorry. I still think of you as a professor."

McGonagall smiled and said, "It's a natural thing, dear. Severus was quite the opposite. I could never get him to call me professor."

Severus snorted.

"Of course not, Minerva. After all, I knew you _before_ you became a professor. Which was an amazement to me, by the way."

"Not as much as you becoming one was to me," shot McGonagall back.

"Oh! You cut me to the quick, woman."

Ginny rolled her eyes at their banter and asked, "Are we the first one's here? I'd have thought we'd be the last."

McGonagall smiled at her and waved them inside before she answered. "Actually you're the second group here. Mister Finnegan beat you by about a minute."

"Seven actually," said a man's voice in a soft, Irish lilt. Harry grinned at the man leaning against one of the huge doors leaning into the Great Hall.

"Hello, Seamus. Made it after all, I see."

Seamus nodded and said, "Yeah, I managed to get an hour or two off. Nearly got my hide scraped off by Torrance when I asked him about it but he let me go."

Harry sighed and rolled his eyes at the mention of the name. Edward Torrance was the manager of the England Quidditch team, for which Seamus was one of the Beater's. Harry had a vague sort of contract with them and stepped in for their Seeker whenever she was injured (as he has told them blatantly that he would not be their Seeker full-time). He didn't have to do so often as it was Cho Chang.

"What'd you have to get out of?" asked Ginny as all of them entered the Great Hall, which was decorated for the Welcoming Feast the following night. "Practice?"

"For the game versus Germany. He wasn't going to let me go but Cho bullied him into it. She can be very persuasive with that broom of hers."

"Don't tell me," said Harry, chuckling. "She _still_ tries to take off people's heads with her broom?"

Seamus grinned and nodded, which caused Harry to laugh. During her last years at Hogwarts, Cho Chang had attempted to take several heads off with her broom. One of them being Harry's after he pulled the Wronski Feint on her. She hadn't taken the broken wrist she'd gotten very lightly.

"How long is he allowing you to stay?" asked Harry as he let Thiele slide down from her perch on his back. His eyes followed the seven-year-old as she began to wander about the Hall.

"A few hours," replied Seamus with a shrug. "Its not as if it matters. We've still got two weeks till the game and Dean can fill me in on any new techniques."

At the mention of Dean, Ginny smiled and asked, "Are you two still together?"

Seamus' cheeks flushed a slight pink and he nodded slowly. He still wasn't used to being asked so point-blankly about his relationship.

"Yeah. We are. Five years now."

"That's wonderful," said Ginny. "Relationships are a fantastic part of life. Right, love?"

"Hmm?" Harry blinked down at his wife, who glared at him. "Sorry, Gin. Just watching Ele."

Ginny frowned and touched his arm gently.

"Nothing is going to happen here, Harry. They're fine."

"They said the wards couldn't be broken," said Harry in a dark tone. "And look what happened to _them_."

"Harry…"

"I'm going to go find Tre," declared Harry in a loud voice, drowning her out. He rose and left the Hall in a series of long, quick strides, which caused Severus to peer after him then turn a curious look on Ginny before returning to his conversation with McGonagall.

Seamus blinked and looked at Ginny, asking, "What was _that_ about?"

The redhead sighed and replied, "You remember what happened during the battle, don't you?"

"'Course," said Seamus, a dark look crossing his face. He, like everyone else who'd been in that battle and survived, hated remembering it. "Clear as day."

"Ever since then…ever since then Harry's been constantly worried that something will happen to me or the children. He blames himself for what happened to me in that battle. And he's afraid that something like that might happen again."

"Surely not…" began Seamus, only to be interrupted by Ginny.

"It's always a possibility," she said softly, looking at her hands. "A few Death Eater's did escape before the Aurors arrived and Merlin knows how many people would rather have _all_ the Heirs of Slytherin dead rather than just the evil one's."

"So…the kids…they're Heirs of Slytherin too?" asked Seamus, frowning.

"They're Harry's children," Ginny replied. "I sometimes wonder about what might happen if something _did_ happen to us. I wonder…I wonder what Harry might do."

"What do you mean?" asked Seamus, leaning towards her.

Ginny looked at him and said, "There's one thing I've learned about Harry and that's that _I'm_ his main support. I'm the first person he ever let himself love – _really love_. If something happens to me – or worse, the children – I don't know if _anything_ could stop him."

"He's that powerful?"

Ginny shook her head slowly.

"No. He loves us that much."

"Mummy?"

Ginny and Seamus both turned at the sound of Thiele's voice. The russet-haired little girl was standing at her mother's knee, shifting nervously away from Seamus.

"What is it, pet?" asked Ginny, used to her daughter's shyness around strangers.

Thielle glanced at Seamus then pushed herself up on her toes and whispered, "Where's Uncle Draco? I wanna see Derrick."

"I don't know, pet. Maybe he'll be in soon."

Thielle nodded and Ginny ruffled the crop of wild hair before she sent the girl off. When she looked back at Seamus, he was frowning after the seven-year-old.

"Seamus?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry, Ginny. Is she shy?"

"Yes."

"That explains why she was scooting away from me. What about your boy…Tremayne, wasn't it? Her twin brother?"

Ginny nodded and, smiling, said, "If Tremayne is shy, then a squirrel is a layabout. It comes from him hanging around Sirius far too much."

"Oh dear," was all Seamus said and Ginny just laughed.


	3. You're So Vain

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I DO, however, own the Founder's weaponry, Trieste, Medusa, Tristen, Thiele, Tremayne, and anything else you don't recognize.

**Serpens Dominus Ruina**

**"Serpent Lord's Ruin"**

**Chapter 3 – You're So Vain**

Harry wandered aimlessly down the Hogwarts corridors, humming an old tune softly. His excuse for going out looking for Tremayne _was_ to go look for the mischievous boy but also to get away from the memories of eleven years before. Of course, it hadn't working. The memories had welled up, hot and fast, striking him sharply. It still hurt every time to remember them.

And they say time puts a cushion about the memory.

Harry snorted and kicked a small stone lying in his path. They, whoever they were, were wrong. Time _never_ puts a cushion on the memory. He still remembered the instant Ginny had died in his arms. That moment and the seconds in which he had killed Aubrey were etched like marble within the chambers of his mind. And try as he might, he couldn't shove the damned things down into the catacombs.

For _years_ he'd been trying to relax, to stop believing something could happen again. But Death Eaters still roamed the world and Voldemort might not really be dead. Merlin knew what exactly that monster had come back as in his fourth year. It _had_ been mortal, that was assured. The Thestral's had showed that when they'd trampled him to death.

"Hey, Tre, c'mere!"

Harry's head snapped up at the sound of Tristen's voice coming from in front of him. In his daze he had wandered back around to the entrance hall. Which was where his son and godson were peering at something on the side of the marble staircase.

"What is it?" asked Tremayne. "I can't see it!"

"Looks like a…snake or something. Hey, didn't your dad tell us once about some chamber underneath the school?

"So?"

"Well," drawled Tristen, "maybe this is it!"

"No way," said Tremayne, shaking his head. "Nobody'd be tha' stupid. An' entrance to something like tha' here? No way."

Harry just smirked and strode forward towards the two boys. "Yes, way," he said as he got close, causing both of them to jump.

"Da!" exclaimed Tremayne. He looked fearfully up at the serpent carved into the side of the staircase then turned fearful eyes on his father. "We…"

"I heard you," said Harry, kneeling down beside the two boys. "And, yes, this _is_ the entrance to the Chamber. There was another one in one of the girl's lavatory's but it got sealed up after a pair of Death Eater's decided it needed to be remodeled."

"So…this _is_ the entrance?" asked Tristen, eyes dancing.

"Yes," replied Harry. He looked over his shoulder then smiled conspiratorially at the two boys. "What do you say we take a quick peek?"

Tremayne perked up at this. He couldn't believe his father – his overly protective father – was going to take the two of them down into the Chamber of Secrets he'd heard so much about!

"Yeah!" chorused both boys.

"Alright then. But don't tell your mother's about this."

"What about Dad?" asked Tristen, to which Harry frowned then shrugged.

"He'll be alright. Now, let's see…we touch the serpent and then say 'open'." Both boys jumped as the last word came out as a rattling hiss. A section of the wall pulled back and aside as they watched, revealing a dark, slimy corridor. Harry clapped both boys on the shoulder and said, "Let's go."

Both boys looked at each other then gingerly started forward into the corridor. Harry followed them and the wall slid shut behind them, leaving them in darkness.

"Da?" mumbled Tremayne, reaching behind him in the dark. He managed to latch onto his father's leg when a globe of brilliant blue-white light appeared, causing both boys to blink.

Harry cupped the globe in his hands and blinked for a few seconds to let his eyes adjust before looking down at Tremayne with concern. "Tre? Tris?"

"Still here," said Tristen, wiping a bit of slime off his sleeve. "Oh slime, oh grime, oh what a time."

"Fine, Da," mumbled Tremayne, pulling away from his father. He started to move ahead but a heavy hand came down on his shoulder. Turning slowly, he peering curiously up at his father.

Harry frowned down at him and said, "Don't go anywhere down here without me. Merlin knows what's taken to live down here in eleven years." He tossed the globe into the air then sent it bobbing ahead of them with a flick of his wrist. "Now, let's see if Sal's still alive down here."

Tristen frowned as they started forward and asked, "Who's Sal?"

"You'll see," replied Harry cryptically.

"Thank you for being cyrpcit, Uncle Harry."

"It's cryptic, Tris."

Tristen flushed pink and mumbled, "I knew that."

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?"

"No, no, and…"

"Hello, Harry."

"_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!_" shrieked Tremayne and Tristen, grabbing onto each other.

Harry winced then looked up at the ceiling and said, "Hello, Sal. C'mon, boys."

The two glared at him then looked at each other and jumped back.

"You grabbed me," growled Tristen.

"You grabbed me firs'!" piped Tremayne.

"Boys!" snapped Harry, poking his head back into the dark tunnel. "Come on now."

"Coming," chorused both boys and rushed out into the light beyond.

And very nearly off the ledge into the pool below.

"_Whoa!_" exclaimed Harry, grabbing both boy's by the back of their shirts and hauling them back. They fell against him with little _whuff's_ of breath and all three slid down to the ground.

"That was close," mumbled Tristen.

"Too close," said Harry. "There's only water down there but I know of a few snakes that have taken haven in it who wouldn't be too happy about two little boy's jumping down on top of them."

A rumbling chuckle came from the statue to their right and a voice said, "They weren't too happy about _you_ jumping down on top of them, Harry."

Harry looked towards the statue and replied, "Ah, but I'm a Parselmouth, Sal. I can fend them off."

"Uncle Harry, why's the statue talking?"

"Yeah," echoed Tremayne. "Statue's aren't 'sposed to talk."

Harry chuckled and said, "Boys, meet Salazar Slytherin, one of the four Founder's of Hogwarts, the first Head of Slytherin House, and my great-great-great-great-something or other."

"Grandfather, if I am not mistaken," mumbled Salazar. "Or perhaps it was cousin once removed…no, that was that imp of a Riddle. Sorry. My mind is all a muddle."

"Well, you _are_ several thousand years old, Sal."

"Very true. And who are the two lads with you? One has your look and the other reminds me of the Unicorn."

Harry grinned and said, "That's because they're our sons."

"_Children!_ Has it really been that long since you have visited me?"

"Eleven years."

Salazar frowned and said, "It seems only yesterday you all came down here at the end of your seventh year. My mind really has gone." He coughed and continued, "What brings you back to Hogwarts, lad?"

"Class reunion. The two brats here ("Hey!" defended Tristen and Tremayne) found the entrance so I decided to give them a little tour."

"I see. And do these 'brats' as you call them have names?"

"O'course," said Tremayne. "Why wouldn't we have names?"

"I knew a lad once that didn't have a name," said Salazar. "He was a street rat and a pickpocket. Then he was taken in by a powerful wizarding family and they gave him a name."

"What was his name?" asked Tristen. "After he was taken in, that is."

"They called him Salazar Amadeus Balthazar Slytherin," replied the statue with a small smile. "Now, young lad's, if I may have your name's."

"Tremayne."

"Tristen."

"No more than one name? Harry, lad, you didn't just give your child one name, did you?"

"Of course not, Sal," said Harry with a chuckle as Tremayne gave the statue a disgruntled look.

"Tremayne Alexander Potter," he grumbled after a moment.

Tristen looked about nervously before mumbling, "Tristen Amadeus Oberon Snape."

"Ah," said Salazar, "another Amadeus. My sister used to call me Deus. But that is not the point." The stone eyes rolled upward and he added, "I believe more have arrived for this 'reunion' of yours, lad. Perhaps you should take the younglings and head back up."

Harry nodded and got to his feet, saying, "I'll come back before we leave."

"I will look forward to it. And bring those other young rascals with you. I wish to see what the years have to do them."

"Bye, Sal."

"Goodbye, lad. And you, children."

"Bye," said Tremayne, waving as Tristen echoed him softly. Harry smiled at the statue then nudged the two boys towards the statue's ear, which opened at a hiss of Parseltongue. The three of them climbed into it and began their journey back.


	4. World is Way Too Fast

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I DO, however, own the Founder's weaponry, Trieste, Medusa, Tristen, Thiele, Tremayne, and anything else you don't recognize.

**Serpens Dominus Ruina**

**"Serpent Lord's Ruin"**

**Chapter 4 – World is Way Too Fast**

When Harry, Tristen, and Tremayne entered the Great Hall a few minutes later, they saw many more people in it than had been there when they'd left. Or when Harry had left as neither boy had entered the Great Hall as of yet.

"Potter!" yelled a voice and Harry turned to see Draco striding towards him, a grin on his face.

"I've told you to call me Harry, Draco," growled the dark-haired man as he clasped the blonde man's extended hand.

Draco just grinned and said, "And when have I ever listened to you?"

"Never. How's Nadia?"

"Pregnant. _Again_." Draco shuddered and asked, "Don't you think there's enough little Malfoy's running about?"

"Apparently Nadia doesn't. Is she here?"

"Nah. Said she didn't want to 'get in the way of my memories'. Heh. Merlin knows, the only memories I've got here are bad one's."

"Oh, I'm a bad memory? I'm hurt."

"Shut up, Potter," growled Draco and punched him on the shoulder. Anyone watching would have thought they were arguing but those who knew them, knew that this was their general behavior around each other.

"S'Derrick here?" asked Tremayne, peering around the blonde man.

"I believe your sister dragged him off for something," replied Draco. "C'mon, Potter, let's go find my dear uncle."

"Alright. Don't you two get into trouble and _stay in the castle_." Harry gave both boy's the Eye then turned and followed Draco off into the crowd.

"What exactly makes your dad so paranoid?" asked Tristen as the two of them wandered back out into the entrance hall.

Tremayne frowned and replied, "Mum said he's scared he's gonna lose us."

"A fear well set into him," said a gravely voice from behind them and both boys turned to see a figure in a dark cloak towering above them. Tristen yelped as Tremayne turned and yelled, "_DA!_"

"That'll be enough," growled the man, jabbing his wand at the two boys. Their voices froze in their throats and as they looked fearfully at each other the man grinned evilly underneath his cowl. "That's better. Now…come with me."

The man grabbed Tristen about the waist and snagged the back of Tremayne's shirt before the boy could get out of reach. He jerked him back and began to drag him towards the main doors and the outside.

"Now, now, let's not be so hasty, young Potter. Or should I say…Slytherin."

Tremayne yelled wordlessly and jerked on his shirt, trying to get away. Finally he slumped, earning a venomous look from the still fighting Tristen. But Tremayne was getting help the only other way he knew how.

By contacting his twin.

* * *

Thiele was talking quietly to Derrick Malfoy, Draco's dark-haired, gray-eyed son, when her brother's voice rang through his head. Like most twins, they had a link. And with that link came a smattering of telepathy.  
  
_Ele!_

"Eep!" cried Thiele, not expecting the mental yell. She toppled out of her seat, clutching her head as she hit the floor. Derrick knelt down beside her, panic starting to form in his gray eyes.

"Ele?"

Tre? Wha's going on? 

_Strange man_, came the reply. _Can' hold connection…_

Thiele hissed in frustration and focused on their link, trying to hold onto her brother. Of the two of them, she was the stronger mentally and she knew it. Derrick's continual shaking of her didn't help her concentration, however.

Tre! 

_Strange man_, repeated Tremayne. _Has me 'n Tris. Ge' Da._ Abruptly the connection fell apart and Thiele was left alone in her mind. She could sense her twin's presence but could no longer speak to him.

Jumping to her feet – which scared Derrick out of his already smattered wits – she ran through the crowd trying to find her father.

"Papa! _Paaaaaaapaaaaaa!_"

"Ele?" said Harry, looking up from his conversation with Hermione and Seamus.

"Papa!" exclaimed Thiele, flying out of the crowd towards him. He scooped her up into his arms and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Tre! A strange man has him an' Tris!"

Harry went stock-still at that and he wordlessly passed Thiele over to Ginny before striding out of the hall. Severus followed him, a grim expression on his face. He looked at the man beside him and said, "Strange man, eh?"

"Strange man," agreed Harry. "He can't have gotten off the grounds yet."

"And if he has?"

"He hasn't," growled Harry, shoving the main doors open. He glowered at the cloaked figure who was dragging a much smaller figure behind it towards the gates then charged down the steps. Severus followed him, an ugly gleam in his eyes as he saw another small figure under the cloaked man's arm.

"Da!" yelled Tremayne wordlessly as he saw his father and godfather coming out the main doors. He reached up and tugged up Tristen's pants leg, which gained the attention of both Tristen and the cloaked man. The man turned and peered back behind him, eyes growing wide underneath his hood.

Instead of two men barreling towards him across the grounds, it was two magical creature's. A black Thestral galloped stride for stride with a black unicorn, both gaining yards on him with every stride. Dark wings flared suddenly and the Thestral let out a shrill scream, echoed by the unicorn. Emerald eyes blazed as the Thestral kicked itself off into the air, wings flapping furiously.

The man let out a squeak of terror and threw Tristen down, snatching Tremayne up into his arm. Tristen leapt at the man's heels, grabbing the end of his cloak. He earned a swift kick for his trouble and let out a yelp of pain, clutching at his nose.

The Thestral folded its wings and landed a few feet from Tristen's head. It snorted and kept running, leaving the unicorn to come to a halt beside the boy.

"Dad," mumbled Tristen wordlessly through the blood spilling from his nose. Severus, human now, knelt down beside him, drawing his wand and tapping his son's throat and nose. He then pulled the nine-year-old up into his arm's and climbed to his feet, jogging after the man who had his godson.

* * *

"Get away from me!"

The cloaked man glanced fearfully back over at his shoulder at the huge beast that was charging after him. He then pulled Tremayne close against him, causing the boy to squirm away. Tremayne beat on the man's chest with his fists, screaming wordlessly.

The Thestral screamed again and thundered past. It ground to a halt, kicking up bits of turf, and turned back on the man. The huge creature glared out from under a fringe of dark hair and snorted steam before it charged.

The man shrieked and stumbled backwards, dropping Tremayne as he fumbled for his wand. Then he grabbed the boy by the neck and shoved his wand right up against it.

"I'll kill him!" he yelled at the still charging Thestral. His voice quavered as he yelled this.

And the Thestral still kept coming.

"_Avad_…_aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!_"

Tremayne felt something hot flood over his neck and shoulders before the man shoved him to the ground. He fell on top of something soft and peered down at it as he heard someone tackle the man.

It was the man's hand that he had landed on top of, its wand still clutched in its grasp. His wrist had been sliced cleanly away.

Tremayne turned over and saw his father crouched over the man with a vicious expression on his face. A gleaming katana was held against the man's throat.

"Who are you?" demanded Harry.

"N-nobody," croaked the man, his cowl falling back to reveal a face a few years younger than Harry's. "My hand. Oh God, my hand…"

Harry scowled.

"You're Muggleborn. Wizards generally don't talk to God."

"Please," moaned the man. "Please…don't hurt me."

"Who are you?"

"Edward. E-Edward Windmyer."

Harry frowned. He'd heard that name somewhere…

"Harry! Harry, are you alright?"

Severus came pounding up suddenly, Tristen clutched in his arms. He looked down at the man on the ground and exclaimed, "Windmyer!"

"You know him?" said Harry, glancing up at the other man.

"Of course. He's the one who applied for Transfiguration professor after Minerva became Headmistress."

"Oh really. How interesting. Let's see here…" Harry kept the katana against Edward's throat and fumbled for his left sleeve, jerking it up. He peered at his arm and said, "No Dark Mark. That would have made things so much easier. Okay, so you're not a Death Eater. Unless…a Death Eater in training, perhaps?"

Edward, face flushed from pain, moaned, "Please…please, I didn't want…"

"Didn't want _what_?" snarled Harry. "Didn't want to try and kidnap _my son and godson?_ Bit too late for that, isn't it? Now give me what's left of your arm."

"No!" yelped Edward, jerking away. Harry pulled the katana away from the man's neck and plunged a good four inches of it into the ground by his head. Edward froze and stared up at Harry in horror.

"Look here, you," growled Harry. "I don't take kindly to people attempting to kidnap and/or kill my family. _But_ I'm not going to let any fool that tries such a thing bleed to death. Now…give me your arm."

Edward gave him a calculating look but held out his arm, which his had wrapped up in a corner of his cloak. Harry jerked the cloak off, causing Edward to hiss in pain.

"I thought you were helping me!"

Harry sneered, "I never said I'd be gentle about it." He pointed his wand at the stump of an arm and said, "_Medicor_. Now, wrap that back up. It's going to take about a half-hour to fully heal and I don't want you to bleed to death before I can find out who sent you. Now get up."

Edward stumbled to his feet and Harry settled his hand on the man's shoulder. Pulling his sword up, he gave the man a shove forward and snarled, "Move."

As he walked off, Severus turned to Tremayne and said, "C'mon, Tre."

"I've never seen 'im like that," mumbled Tremayne, staring after his father. He didn't appear to have heard his godfather.

"Not many have," said Severus, dropping a heavy hand down onto the boy's slim shoulder. "Come on. We have wild women to reassure and an amateur kidnapper to interrogate."

"Alrigh'," mumbled Tremayne. He looked up at Tristen, who was holding a handkerchief to his nose, and asked, "You okay?"

"Fine," mumbled Tristen. "You?"

"Same."

"Now that we've got that done," said Severus, starting forward. "Let's head up."


	5. Nothing's Real

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter. I DO, however, own the Founder's weaponry, Trieste, Medusa, Tristen, Thiele, Tremayne, and anything else you don't recognize.

**Serpens Dominus Ruina**

**"Serpent Lord's Ruin"**

**Chapter 5 – Nothing's Real**

Harry stormed into the Great Hall, shoving Edward down onto the floor. McGonagall came forward, frowning first at her replacement, then at her ex-student.

"Harry…what on earth is going on? Edward?"

"Professor," started the man but Harry planted a boot in his back, shoving him down so his face was against the floor.

"You would do very well to be quiet right now," growled the serpent-eyed wizard. He then looked at McGonagall and said, "Your _replacement_ here tried to kidnap Tremayne and Tristen."

"What?" hissed McGonagall in rage and surprise. "Edward, how could you?"

"Had…orders," mumbled Edward.

"I'd like to hear these 'orders'," hissed Harry, leaning down towards the man.

"As would I," growled Severus as he entered, Tristen in his arms and Tremayne tagging along behind him. Hermione and Ginny both rushed forward, nearly shoving Parvati to the floor. Tremayne was abruptly swept up into his mother's protective embrace as Hermione pulled Tristen from his father's arms.

"I think we should take this elsewhere," said McGonagall. "To my office, perhaps."

"Fine with me," growled Harry. He jerked Edward to his feet and stalked out, shoving the man in front of him. Severus followed in a swirl of dark robes.

"Papa?" mumbled Thiele, tugging at her mother's robes. Ginny looked down at her daughter then at her son, who was also staring off after his father. She then looked at Hermione, who was hugging Tristen tightly.

Brown eyes met brown over Tristen's shoulder for a moment and both women nodded in agreement. They left the Hall after their men, followed by Draco, who had Derrick in his arms.

McGonagall stayed for a moment to tell everyone not to worry before she hurried off after them. And hoped that when she reached her office, that Edward was not any more damaged than he already was.

* * *

By the time McGonagall reached her office, Draco and Severus had had to pin Harry against the wall to keep him from doing harm to Edward. The now one-handed man was curled up on the other side of the room, Hermione and Ginny looming over him with wands drawn.

Thiele, Tremayne, Tristen, and Derrick all looked nervously up at the Headmistress. They were deeply confused by the actions of their parents.

"Harry, be still," said McGonagall in a commanding tone. "Virginia, Hermione, put Edward in that chair and bind him to it. _Harry, behave!_"

The dark-haired man snarled incoherently and Draco said, "Maybe it'd be better if we tied him down too."

"I'll go with that," said Severus.

McGonagall looked at Ginny, who nodded, before she gave her wand a flick. Ropes flew out of the tip and whipped past Draco and Severus to wind their coils about Harry. The dark-haired wizard continued to snarl incoherently as they bound him to the wall he was being held against.

"Much better," said Draco as he and Severus stepped back. At a look from the other man, he added, "Well, it is."

Severus just snorted and gave Harry an apologetic glance before he turned around, fixing Edward with a murderous glare. The one-handed man, who had seemed to think he was safe, tensed at the sudden realization that this man wanted to kill him as much as the other. He just had more control.

"Now," said McGonagall, "Edward, would you mind explaining what this is all about?"

"I-I don't know," stammered Edward, jumping when Severus' fist slammed against McGonagall's desk a moment later.

"LIAR!"

"Severus," growled McGonagall.

The green/black-haired man scowled at her but fell silent, his arms crossed over his chest. Behind him, Harry fell silent as well. But his serpentine green eyes were fixed on Edward, murderous rage burning in them.

"I don't know why they wanted them!" screamed Edward. "They just wanted me to get them!"

"Who?" asked McGonagall.

"The men!"

"What men?" demanded Draco.

"The one's who came to me," replied Edward. He then turned pleading eyes on McGonagall and said, "Minerva, please, believe me. They took Lisa and Peter."

Ginny frowned and said, "Who?"

"My wife and son," whispered Edward. "Five-years-old."

"Oh God," breathed Hermione.

McGonagall frowned and said, "Edward, even so, I cannot condone the fact that you tried to kidnap two children."

"THEY'RE GOING TO KILL THEM!" yelled Edward.

"By now they're probably already dead," said Severus. As Edward let out a sob, McGonagall glared at the man. He shrugged and continued, "It's the truth, Minerva. If whoever these men are are serious, his family are already dead."

"And so would our children," whispered Hermione, glancing at Tristen and her godchildren.

"No," said Severus. "They'd have kept them alive as bait. I saw it too many times among the Death Eaters. Kidnap the child and torture them until you get what you want from the parent. Simple."

Ginny frowned at him. "You sound so heartless."

"If you practice, its easy to sound heartless. Actually being heartless…now there's a trick."

Edward moaned again and Severus frowned at him.

"I'm sorry about your family. But I cannot condone you attempting to kidnap my son and godson."

Harry snarled incoherently from across the room and Severus added, "And neither can Harry."

"I'm sorry," moaned Edward. "Oh Lisa…my sweet Lisa."

"Sev…" began Hermione, looking mournfully at her husband.

"There's nothing I can do, Mione. Even if we knew that these _were_ Death Eaters that ordered him to do this, I couldn't do a thing about it." Severus turned away and continued, "Now…I think we should get Windmyer to Poppy and these children out of here. Children should not see such things."

Ginny and Hermione nodded and ushered the four children out as Draco pulled Edward onto his feet and dragged him out. As soon as they were gone, Severus flicked his wand at Harry, who was released from his bonds and fell to the floor.

"Thank you," grunted the dark-haired man as he lifted himself up. "I needed to land on my leg at just that particular angle."

"You're welcome," growled Severus, grabbing his arm and jerking him to his feet. "And that was no way to act around our children."

"I know. But…you know…"

"Yes, yes, I know how you are." Severus sighed and slung an arm about the other man's shoulders, drawing him towards the door. "But Merlin, Harry, did you have to do a good impression of a rabid dog?"

"Is that a reference to Sirius?"

"Hmm…maaaaaaaaybe."

"I thought you two had made up."

"After hating each other for nearly forty years? Please, Harry."

"You two are pitiful."

"I prefer to think of it as mentally challenged but if you insist."

McGonagall shook her head as she listened to the two of them as they left her office.

"Those two _are_ pitiful," she muttered to herself before she began to write out an ad for a new Transfiguration professor.


End file.
